Singer/songwriter Brenda Xu was born in Harbin, China (near Russia's southern border), arriving in the U.S. to live with her grandmother at age five. When she was ten, her mother joined them and began teaching Xu piano. She was in high school when she got her first guitar and began writing songs. "When I first played around town at open mics, it was a little duo with a friend of mine. We played three shows, but then I started writing songs on my own."

Her first local solo gig was in January 2007 at Hot Java Cafe in Carmel Mountain Ranch. She sometimes performs and records with guitarist Ivan Cheong, occasionally with a bassist as well. She released the six-song CD It’s True in 2007, followed by the full-length A Little Illusion in 2009.

In summer 2010, Xu moved to Seattle, WA, where she recorded her 2014 album For the Winter with Seattle-based producer Don Farwell. The album made its local debut October 16 at Lestat's, where the Lovebirds also performed.